Leader of the Tamil Makkal Thesiya Kootan (TMTK), CV Wigneswaran has written to the secretary of Sri Lanka’s president to explain that he would not attend the dialogue session due to the continued failure to implement the 13^th amendment, which sets out grounds for devolution to the North and East.

In his letter, Wigneswaran notes that whilst Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe spoke positively on the Committee on Devolution, which would oversee implementing the 13^th amendment, they were expected to convene on 1^st September but this has yet to take place.

His letter notes:

“It is my view that no useful purpose would be served by discussing Reconciliation and Development without implementing promises already made by the President on the most vital issue of the Full Implementation of the 13th Amendment”.

Reporting on the session, the president’s media division claimed that there were discussions with Tamil MPs on land provisions, changing laws concerning resettlement, reconciliation and a recognition of the difficulties Tamil refugees faced in India.

The statement also highlighted the attendance of high-profile Tamil politicians such as R. Sampanthan, S. Rasamanickam, G. Karunakaran, Mr.T. Kalai Arasan and Kulasingham Dileepan.

The meeting took place last Thursday following heavy backlash against launching of a new initiative known as the “Himalaya Declaration”, which was signed by the Global Tami Forum (GTF), the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) and members of the Sinhala Buddhist clergy. During this initiative Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan and M.A. Sumanthiran met with the GTF. 

The initiative also members of the GTF meet with meet accused war criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

Wigneswaran’s full letter is reproduced below:

20/12/2023

L.Ilangovan  Esqr.                                                                                     

Additional Secretary to the President

Northern Province Development Unit

Presidential Secretariat

Colombo

Your Reference PS/NPD/DO/01/01/01

Yours of 18/12/2023 under above reference in Tamil inviting me to attend a meeting with the President on the 21^st instant at 3 pm at the Presidential Secretariat to hand.

I met the President on 24.07.2023 and 15.08.2023, accompanied by Dr. K. Vigneswaran to discuss issues connected with the Full Implementation of the 13^th Amendment. At the second meeting with the President, he spoke positively about the appointment of a Committee on Devolution, comprising five Experts as follows:

(1) Dr. Kasilingam Vigneswaran

Former Secretary to the Chief Minister, North-East Province.

Former Member of Parliament.

(2) Dr. Mrs. Nirmala Chandrahasan

Former Head, Faculty of Law, University of Colombo

Former Consultant, Office of National Unity and        Reconciliation.

(3) Mr. Kandappu Pathmanathan

Former Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Eastern Province

Former FAO Consultant.

(4) Mr. Kathirkamathamby Kurunathan

Former Provincial Land Commissioner, Eastern Province and presently Attorney at Law

(5) Mr. Alvappillai Sellathurai

Former Deputy Chief Secretary for Finance, Northern Province.

We had pointed out that the Committee could be appointed by the President exercising powers under Article 154T of the Constitution. The Proclamation under Article 154L would be necessary only when the Statutes were ready for approval. We expected the Committee to be in place by 1^st September 2023. This did not happen. It is now December 2023. Those who expected the full implementation of the 13^th Amendment at least for the moment, are disappointed and distressed. In the meantime, the last- mentioned Expert, Mr. Alvapillai Sellathurai has made arrangements to go on a long vacation to Australia.

The initial task of the Committee was the preparation of at least 100 draft Statutes under the 13^th Amendment. This task was estimated to take around 6 months. Of course the approval of those draft Statutes was to be undertaken thereafter by the President after a Proclamation was made under Article 154L of the Constitution.

The Committee was also expected to devise ways and means and advise the President on the administrative procedure to be followed to take back to the Provincial Councils subjects that were wrongfully taken over by the Centre. The advice of the Committee was also necessary to the President on the procedures to be adopted to transfer the District administrations to the Provinces. None of these have taken place as promised by the President.

It is my view that no useful purpose would be served by discussing Reconciliation and Development without implementing promises already made by the President on the most vital issue of the Full Implementation of the 13^th Amendment.

I therefore regret that I would not attend the meeting of Members of Parliament summoned by the President to be held on the 21^st December 2023. Kindly convey my decision to His Excellency.

Justice C.V.Wigneswaran  M.P.

Former Chief Minister, Northern